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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
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Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
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February 6, 2012
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Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Dec. 15, 2008
/ 18 Kislev 5769
Jesse Jr. tangled in Blago's net
By
Clarence Page
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The year's not over yet, but I think my first annual Basket Crab Award can safely be awarded to the we-hope-soon-to-be-former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The prize, which I just made up, is awarded to the public figure who best exemplifies the often retold legend of the basket crabs: Every time one of them tries to get out of the basket, the others pull it back in.
So it is with the recently arrested governor, judging by his statements captured on a wiretap and reproduced on his criminal affidavit. Federal authorities led Blagojevich away in handcuffs last week on charges that, among other things, he tried to auction off to the highest bidder the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. Some people are bold. Some are audacious. Blago, as my late daddy might say, was "bo-dacious!"
Fortunately for Obama, a tape recording of Blagojevich's frustration at the Obama camp's rebuff to his pay-for-play invitation makes the president-elect sound downright heroic.
Less fortunate is Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who led other prominent contenders in a recent poll of Illinois Democrats. Thanks to Blago's banter, Jackson's hopes for a Senate seat have been effectively derailed, whether they deserve to be or not.
In his quotes, the governor sounds like the model of a cranky basket crab with his claws out for money. To him, the appointment of someone to fill Obama's seat is not a serious public duty but a blank check waiting to be cashed in for a pot of gold.
But when he's rebuffed by the Obama camp, the crab is plenty steamed. As U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald read from affidavit: "Quote, 'They're not willing to give me anything but appreciation. Bleep them,' close quote."
The "bleep," Fitzgerald patiently explained, "is a redaction."
Coming on top of the explicit exoneration offered by Fitzgerald, who ran this investigation, Blago's nasty words must have been music to Obama's ears. There's no higher praise than to be condemned by a scoundrel.
Questions remain. Obama denies that he or anyone on his staff communicated with the governor as to who should fill the empty seat. But that's not saying enough, especially after what's happened to his friend, the junior Jackson.
As the investigation unfolds, Obama is caught in a classic Washington trap: You shouldn't answer reporters' questions, your lawyers tell you, but if you don't answer the questions, the story hangs around like a cloud, feeding public suspicions and the propaganda machinery of your partisan critics and rivals.
But Obama's burden is minor compared to Jackson's. Weeks before Election Day, Jackson made no secret of his desire to be appointed to the seat if Obama won. He would have an easier time winning over Blagojevich, despite their past differences, than winning over downstate voters for whom his father's name was even less of a blessing than Obama's Arabic middle name.
But after the governor's arrest, one hopes Blago will have a hard time finding anyone, let alone Jackson, who would accept his appointment, if he were goofy enough to make one.
Worse for Jackson, the Chicago Tribune identified him Friday as "Senate Candidate 5." That's the now-famous name that prosecutors gave to a politician they allege to whom Blagojevich was considering awarding the senate seat in exchange for a promise to raise as much as $1.5 million for Blagojevich's campaign fund.
The emissaries, according to the Tribune, turned out to be Chicago businessmen with ties to Blagojevich and Jackson. Jackson's attorney and spokesmen denied that the congressman had asked the businessmen to do anything on his behalf.
Even if Jackson is telling the truth, the wheeler-dealer image of this news does not help him politically. Instead, the revelations hit his statewide political prospects like a load of bricks on the shoulders of a man who already is treading water.
I hate to see that, because I have admired the younger Jackson ever since he and his siblings presented the sort of wholesome family image at the 1988 Democratic National Convention for which Obama's family is known today. All along his political climb, he has tried to make up for the shortcomings that prevented his father from appealing to a wider audience.
Still, as he told me a few months ago, his name is both a political blessing and curse. He'll have to work a lot longer if he is ever to soften the resistance of those whose image of his dad gets in the way of their ability to know the son.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
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