“…the happy day when the law pounces”

Oh, and on the linked article’s poll the choice between “Sad day for Illinois” and “a holly, jolly Fitzmas”, good ol’ “holly, jolly Fitzmas” wins 96-4.

That’s what I’m thinking happened–and one of the reasons JJJ made the VERY risky decision to hold a presser (and even, to continue to press for the position, even while sounding like he was ending his campaign).

WHile JJJ told reporters yesterday that he was not offered the position Monday, I think that’s probably an overstatement. So just the possibility that Blago may have left the impression that the deal was done would require JJJ to 1) go public and say “anyone” appointed by Blago would be tainted, and 2) try to pitch his side of hte conversation as being very naively about “public service,” to help the FBI interpret any possible recording, but also to preempt public interpretation in case a transcript magically comes to light.

[a] whatever he’d been informed by his emissary,

[b] what the implications of that might be,

[c] that he’d decided to go into the meeting intending to try to walk a tightrope – without a lot of previous experience in same,

and

[d] having listened t MacBlago talk-dance around the implications – -

maybe not at all convincingly – -

[Monty Python sketch: “Right? Right? Candy, you say? Can - Dee? Eh? Eh? Winks as good as nod to a blind man, right? Isn’t that what they say? Say no more Say - No - More!”]

and on being contacted by the feds Very Shortly Thereafter:

was not entirely convinced he’d succeeded in negotiating that tightrope in a credible way …

until – - sigh made partly of chastened relief and partly of hopefulness that this too might pass – - he was officially informed he was “not a target” – - and, as we saw, seized onto it with all the enthusiasm of someone who’s just jumped off the Titanic and spots a likely piece of floating wood.

But still – that ‘guilty knowledge’ thing yet gnaws at him – and thus his less than compelling performance at the non-press presser.

Related observation, as to that Monday-Tuesday thing: Hard to keep track of what day it is when you go sleepless in Chicago.