Feb 19

Feb 19 Blago Reunion

“When I hear that whistle blowing I hang my head and cry
I bet there’s rich folks eating in a fancy dining car
They’re probably drinkin’ coffee and smoking big cigars.
Well I know I had it coming, I know I can’t be free
But those people keep a movin’
And that’s what tortures me
”

— Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash, from With His Hot and Blue Guitar (1955)

On March 14, 2012, I was outside former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s home for what was to be his final press conference before reporting to the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colorado the next day. He had been convicted of bribery, resulting in a 14-year prison sentence for his attempt to sell President Obama’s former Senate seat. I was working on a class photo project requiring me to illustrate the phrase “Time is Running Out.” For Blago, it was.

As has been well publicized, Donald J. Trump commuted Blago’s sentence yesterday to time served. The ex-governor arrived home late last night, after celebrating with a glass of cranberry juice on the plane ride to Chicago. He briefly spoke with the media gathered outside his home, but his formal comments were scheduled for 11:00 AM today. It seemed only appropriate that I close the circle that I began traveling eight years ago, so this morning, I headed back to 2934 West Sunnyside Avenue in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood where Blagojevich’s large elongated cream-colored brick bungalow is located.

The Trump commutation clearly added some caché to the affair. While there were not nearly as many supporters present today, there were easily three times the number of media personnel in attendance than had been there eight years ago. I heard reporters even describing the press conference as sort of a reunion. One thing everyone agreed upon: we would be standing in the cold well past the 11:00 AM announced starting time. Blago runs on his own schedule. True to form, he did not appear until about 11:25 AM, which was particularly hard on me because I was seated on the icy tundra. Two hours later my butt was still pulsating from the cold even though I was back indoors.

When Blago finally emerged, he shook a few well-wisher’s hands and hugged a few others, but his security detail pushed him forward to the waiting bank of microphones standing on the sidewalk. With him were his wife Patti and his two daughters, Amy (23) and Annie (16).

Looking marvelous, Blago clearly had been working out in prison regularly. As the great Chicago soul singer Tyrone Davis sang in 1970, “If I could turn back the hands of time.” We all know no one can, and Blago’s whitish gray hair certainly attested to that immutable fact. He wore black jeans, a blue sweater over a button-down shirt, and no coat. Prison apparently toughened him up.

Blago spoke without a teleprompter or notes for about 20 minutes. He held a small folded napkin, which he kept applying to his chin. At the outset, he explained why: Prison officials prohibit the use of regular razors, so when he shaved for the first time this morning with a regular one, he cut himself. From that personal insight into his re-acclimation, Blago launched into his general remarks and reflections. He first thanked President Trump, who he praised as a tough leader who is getting things done, but who is a very compassionate man. Blago refers to himself as a “Trumpocrat.” Someone yelled, “Will you be voting for [Trump}.” Blago paused, and then said he would get to that later, but he didn’t. Under the law, Blago can vote for Trump this fall. Illinois restores voting rights to those convicted of crimes upon their release from prision.

Blago then covered a number of other topics, as one news helicopter flew overhead and several satellite trucks pumped the feed to local and national news outlets. He talked about the prison fence he could not get close to during his first 32 months of captivity because the guards had the right to shoot unauthorized prisoners who got too close. He then moved on to talk of his wrongful prosecution and conviction, the milestones in his daughters lives that he missed, and the 10,000 reasons he had for being thankful. Blago characterized himself as a political prisoner, proclaiming that “Every mile I ran, every pushup I did, every book I read, every word I wrote, was my way of fighting back.”

He returned to Trump several times throughout his discourse, at one point telling his supporters and the media that the Trump commutation was the greatest gift his daughters will ever receive. He also thanked Chicago Alderman Dick Mell, who is his father-in-law, which took many by surprise because Blago believed that Mell’s conversation with federal authorities was one of the primary reasons he was indicted. Apparently all is forgiven.

Overall, Blago was the smooth and forceful speaker of old, but I sensed that he had been a bit humbled by his time in the hoosegow even though he would most likely deny it. Like many who find themselves behind bars, he clearly upped his relationship with the almighty. Although his overall remarks were somewhat disjointed in terms of flow, it was clear that he had been carefully crafting several segments over the years. According to the Chicago Tribune, at one point, Blago recited a passage from a poem entitled God Knows by British poet Minnie Louise Haskins, quoting the line: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.” He also talked about prison reform, noting that “No one is doing more to fix the prison system than President Trump and Jarred Kushner.” [that quote may not be exact, but it is close]

Throughout it all, I wondered, “So what’s his next act?” When he recounted his accomplishment as Governor, I though maybe he is going to run for office again, but under state law, he cannot run for a state office. Or maybe he is thinking about becoming a minister. He certainly had practice in prison helping other inmates. And there is precedent for taking up the gospel. Convicted Watergate felon Charles Colson comes to mind. He formed the Prison Fellowship International following his release from prison.

At times, however, I thought Blago was auditioning for a position in the Trump Administration, which would be very efficient. You knew Trump was tuned into what was happening in Albany Park, wanting to hear and confirm all the adulation directed toward him.

Up to this point, Trump has hired several people who became convicted felons following their often involuntary exit from Trump’s orbit. By hiring a convicted felon, the American People wouldn’t have to wait for the exit to know what they were getting for their money, But Blago may have some trouble passing the audition. He likes the spotlight that Trump doesn’t like sharing.

I was never a Blago fan. He was an obnoxious blowhard who should have served his full 14-year prison term. Nevertheless, what Trump did can’t be undone. It was nice to see a family united. I am sure I am not the only one who felt that way. He may be a convicted felon, but you could hear a father’s pride and love for his two daughters, one who received a master’s degree while he was in prison and the other who just got her driver’s license. Despite Blago’s often oft-putting ways and combativeness, I sensed that the press felt affection toward him despite the fact that he uncharacteristically did not take a single question. He may be a convicted felon, but he still is our lovable rogue.

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