Ambassador 'Blago' > Another Illinois embarrassment

Read the whole article here. Get all the wiretap tape transcripts here

At one point in the tape, Blagojevich asks if he could get Obama to appoint him as Secretary of Health and Human Services or another top federal post. [snip] 

"I don't think that's realistic," Harris tells Blagojevich.  [snip] 

Harris also tries to shoot down a suggestion from Blagojevich that he could try to get various ambassadorships, including United Nations ambassador or ambassador to India or South Africa. But Harris tells Blagojevich those aren't viable options either [snip] 

Blagojevich, 53, has pleaded not guilty to scheming to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat Obama gave up following his November 2008 election. He has also pleaded not guilty to plotting to launch a racketeering scheme using the powers of the governor's office. 

If convicted, Blagojevich could face up to $6 million in fines and a sentence of 415 years in prison, although he is certain to get much less under federal guidelines.

SCOTUS impaired > The right to remain silent now requires you to speak.

A suspect was given his Miranda rights to remain silent (or it could be used against him in a court of law). He remained mostly silent despite 3 hours of continued questioning by the police. Finally one his questioners asked Q: Do you believe in God? 'Yes" he answered. Q: Do you think God is forgiving of people's sins? (paraphrase) "Yes" he answered. Q: Do you think God would forgive you for what you did to [the victim]? "Yes" he replied.

These answers were used against him in court which led to his conviction. When challenged by their admissibility the Supreme Court found that the accused hadn't really said he wanted to remain silent so whatever he said was admissible.

“The right to remain silent” now requires you to speak: The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Tuesday that criminal suspects must explicitly tell police interrogators that they wish to remain silent in order to receive Miranda protections. Previously, that right had been a given. The decision split the court along its familiar conservative-liberal fault line. Writing the dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that the decision “turns Miranda upside down . . . suspects will be legally presumed to have waived their rights even if they have given no clear expression of their intent to do so.” You can read more about it here