A Vote for Me is a Vote Against Blago

Do we say Rob Blagojevich's court outcome today places a blotch on our system, that a high politician should wiggle free while all appearances are that he most certainly did attempt to auction off the Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama?

Or do we say we we should grant him the assumption of innocence since the court didn't convict him?

Juries can err, and, in this case, the evidence is not washed away the jury's decision.

Or indecision.

The jury deadlocked 11-1 on whether Blagojevich tried to auction off the Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama, this despite an FBI tape having him saying the opportunity to name someone to the Senate seat was "(expletive) golden."

That was among the evidence that seemingly should have nailed Blago to the wall. One juror said the holdout juror "just didn't see what we all saw." He said that of all the charges against Blagojevich, the selling of the Senate seat was "the most obvious." (Blago was convicted on a charge of lying, but not on the bribery charges.)

I came home, listening to KSL, listening to Blagojevich suggest prosecutors had persecuted him, wondering if, per chance, he was right.

But, oh, no, I hardly think so.

Rather, I think today was the latest citation in the What-I-Did-Was-Quite-Alright, Money-For-Favors heritage of political thought.

Money for favors is not alright. Asking for money for appointing someone to political office is, of course, wrong.

And -- I beg to suggest -- so is it wrong that those running for office often take contributions from those who will be coming before them asking for favors. This may not be blatant bribery, but it is a slight form of bribery. Candidates take the money without thought as it is simply the way the system works. But, if they gave it some thought, many would surely see it isn't the best way of running an election.

Why do we allow it? I am not going to take that money. I am not going to take contributions from those seeking my favor after I'm elected. (Actually, just to be safe, I am not taking political contributions from anyone, but instead will rely on my own finances.)

If you will, after all you might have said of how you do not like special interest money running government, please see this as an opportunity to do something about it. (And, to boot, you'll get a good legislator.)

A vote for me is a vote against a slight bit of corruption, if we can call the current system that. Please vote for me for House District 41.

-- John Jackson, candidate House District 41