Seth Perlman / AP
Lincoln and wife Mary Todd, depicted at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Ill.
THE HOME STATE

Corruption in the Land of Lincoln

These should be heady days in Springfield, but state politicians have been jolted by unseemly accusations.

 
 
 

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When the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Library in Springfield opened its doors three years ago, the newly commissioned paintings on display were like Where's Waldo? games for the Illinois political cognoscenti. One painting depicted a celebration of Lee's surrender at Appomattox, but among the celebrants was a woman many recognized as Julie Cellini, the contemporary head of the state agency that funds the museum. Another painting portrayed President Lincoln looking at returns on election night in 1864, while an associate stood over him making a hand gesture and offering advice. To those in the know, the adviser bore a striking resemblance to William Cellini—Julie's husband, and one of modern Illinois's most influential power brokers, political fundraisers and lobbyists.

But in recent days, the image of William Cellini as a Lincoln adviser has become more than a little awkward for the museum. The 74-year-old, long dubbed "the King of Clout," was indicted last month on conspiracy to commit extortion, mail fraud and solicitation of a bribe. He's just the latest casualty in a sweeping, three-year investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, a probe that is reinforcing the state's long-held reputation for rank corruption and tawdry politics. (Cellini, through his lawyer, has denied all wrongdoing.)

These should be heady days in Springfield. Barack Obama launched his presidential campaign on the steps of the state capitol. His Inauguration on Jan. 20 as the fourth president with Illinois roots (Ulysses S. Grant lived in the state and Ronald Reagan was born there) will come just a few weeks before the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth—an event state officials have been planning for years. But just as Illinois politicians gear up for the celebrations, which include a gala black-tie birthday party on Feb. 12, they've been jolted anew by allegations of kickbacks, shakedowns and influence peddling.

A prime focus of Fitzgerald's probe, code-named Operation Board Games, is the state's Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a temperamental onetime reformer from Chicago who now has a lower approval rating (13 percent) than President Bush. He is referred to in the latest indictment as "Public Official A"—the intended beneficiary of campaign contributions that Cellini and his accused co-conspirators, including convicted political "fixer" Antoin (Tony) Rezko, allegedly sought from a Chicago businessman turned Hollywood producer seeking state business. Fitzgerald has denounced the practices uncovered by Operation Board Games as part of a "pay-to-play scheme on steroids," in which businesses were brashly hit up for campaign funds in exchange for state contracts and appointments to state boards. Stuart Levine, another of Cellini's alleged co-conspirators, who raised huge sums for Blagojevich and got reappointed to two state boards, testified at Rezko's trial that the governor once told him during a 2003 plane ride, "You stick with us and you'll do very well for yourself." (Levine has pleaded guilty and is cooperating in Fitzgerald's probe; Rezko is seeking his own deal.)

Blagojevich has not been charged, and his office has adamantly denied any wrongdoing. "The governor was not involved in the improper activities alleged in the indictment," his spokesman, Lucio Guerrero, said after the charges against Cellini were filed. Pressure continues to build, however. In just the past few weeks, new subpoenas went out for records relating to a health-care company that won a favorable state ruling after hiring a former aide to the governor as its lobbyist. "They are continuing to work their way up the ladder," says one lawyer close to the case who asked not to be identified talking about the ongoing probe.

The Board Games investigation follows an earlier Fitzgerald dirt-digging effort that culminated two years ago in the conviction of Blagojevich's Republican predecessor, George Ryan, on 18 felony counts. Kent Redfield, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois in Springfield, notes that three of the state's last seven elected governors have gone to prison—a gubernatorial incarceration rate unequaled in the country. Even while producing towering figures like Lincoln and Adlai Stevenson, "there has always been a 'Let's make a deal' and 'Where's mine?' kind of politics that is pretty pervasive in the culture of Illinois," Redfield says.

Although Blagojevich was the first governor to back Obama, and will appoint his successor in the Senate, he's now keeping a low profile. The governor's spokesman, Guerrero, tells NEWSWEEK that it "hasn't been decided yet" whether Blagojevich will even attend the Inauguration in January. But that doesn't mean there isn't still state business to conduct. In the days before the election, the governor had to figure out what to do with Richard E. Beard, the $200,000-a-year executive director of the Lincoln Library and Museum. Beard had just been arrested shoplifting a DVD box set of the TV show "House" from a local Target. (He has pleaded not guilty; Target also identified him as having previously walked off with a box set of "Seinfeld" DVDs.) And as it turned out, he was convicted last year of stealing neckties from Macy's. Blagojevich fired him—an executive decision to restore integrity in the land of Lincoln.

© 2008

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  • Posted By: BOFORCE @ 01/12/2009 8:36:33 AM

    ???A BLOODLESS COUP BY RUTHLESS MEN who run the Federal Reserve Bank is now occurring in America,??? Joan Veon reported for Rense.com on September 22 2008. ???Our entire economy is in the process of being transferred to the Federal Reserve which now appears to be running the United States of America,??? Veon observed.
    Creating money out of thin air by a simple book-entry and charging American citizens interest on that debt-creating entry is the specialty of the three Jews on the five member Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve who take orders from Jacob Rothschild out of London.
    The markets tell it all, not politicians. In reports on September 22 2008 by Bloomberg.com & Daily FX, the markets are nervous about the dollar drop due to the current financial crisis:

    ???The US dollar had weakened across the board. Market participants are weighing the repercussions of the proposed bailout with much uncertainty. The plan by Paulson and Bernanke may come at a great cost.
    The bailout would mark unprecedented government participation in markets and increase the nation???s debt to $11 trillion. The dollar will get crushed as the extra spending reduces the allure of US assets to foreign investors??? .

    A COMMON CURRENCY for North America called the Amero is now in the planning stages. Modeled after the European Union with its Euro, the Bush Administration launched the Security And Prosperity Partnership Of North America (SPP) in March of 2005 in co-operation with Canada & Mexico to create a North American Union (NAU).
    A continuing ???dialogue??? (it is really an intended plan) ensued between President Bush, Prime Minister Harper, and President Fox, to enhance ???security & prosperity??? among the three nations.
    On April 6, 2005, the US Department Of Treasury announced the formation of the Financial Services Working Group to assist in the SPP???s ???prosperity??? plans. According to its own press release, the US Treasury???s Financial Services Working Group said it ???will play a critical role in the SPP.???
    The Amero, as the common currency for the envisioned North American Union, is covertly being planned as the common currency to replace the US & Canadian dollar, as well as the peso.

  • Posted By: BOFORCE @ 01/12/2009 3:30:58 AM

    THE ACTUAL REASON BEHIND THE KENNEDY ASSASINATION.
    On June 4th 1963 President John F. Kennedy (the 35th President of the United States 1961 - 1963) signed Executive Order 11110 which returned to the U.S. government the power to issue currency, without going through the Rosthchilds owned Federal Reserve. Less than 6 months later on November 22nd, president Kennedy was assassinated by the Rothschilds for the same reason as they assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, he wanted to print American money for the American people, as oppose to for the benefit of a money grabbing war mongering foreign elite(Rothschilds). This Executive Order 11110, was rescinded by President Lyndon Baines Johnson (the 36th President of the United States 1963 to 1969) on Air Force One on his way from Dallas to Washington, the same day as President Kennedy was assassinated.

  • Posted By: BOFORCE @ 01/10/2009 11:55:29 PM

    Rothschilds , the onwer of Fedral reserves, are the most corrupt people in america and on this planet.
    ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S FIANANCIAL WAR.
    President Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States from 1860 till his assassination in 1865) approached the Rothschilds to try to obtain loans to support the ongoing American civil war. The Rothschilds agree provided Lincoln allows them a Charter for another United States central bank and are prepared to pay 24% to 36% interest on all monies loaned. Lincoln was very angry about this high level of interest and so he printed his own debt free money and informed the public that this was now legal tender for both public and private debts.By April 1862,$449,338,902 worth of Lincoln's debt free money had been printed and distributed. He went on to state,
    'We gave the people of this republic the greatest
    blessing they ever had, their own paper money to
    pay their own debts'.
    That same year The Times of London publishes A story containing the following statement,
    'If that mischievous financial policy, which had its origin in the North American Republic, should become indurated down to a fixture, then that government will furnish its own money without cost. It will pay off debts and be without a debt. It will have all the money necessary to carry on its commerce. It will become prosperous beyond precedent in the history of civilized governments of the world. The brains and the wealth of all countries will go to North America. That government must be destroyed or it will destroy every monarchy on the globe'.
    In the year 1865, a statement to Congress, President Abraham Lincoln stated,
    'I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me, and the financial institution in the rear. Of the two, the one in my rear is my greatest foe'.
    Later that year President Lincoln was assassinated.

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