Methinks shaking Rahm down is/was not a good idea.

I suspect he doesn't suffer fools (like Blago) well.

The real story is the absence, from the superseding indictment, of the Planning Board criminal charges which are so prominent a part of the December 2008 complaint.

What happened to them?

Some people think Fitzgerald is whitewashing Obama by leaving these charges out. I think the Planning Board charges will be central in the case against Obama. You can even read on the internet a detailed discussion of Obama's carrying the 2003 Planning Board legislation--which allowed Rezko to retain control of the Board--and a list of the kickbacks Obama received for doing this.

Obama is nothing but a criminal, and I think he will soon go over.

Here is an email I sent to a WSJ reporter in response to a query:

Hi Doug, I certainly can point out to you where the planning board crimes are discussed in the December 2008 complaint: pages 19-23. There is something very dodgy going on. I reproduce the exact paragraphs below, and I also attach the complaint (which is available, as is the superseding indictment, on the website of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois). It was as a result of these Mercy Hospital conspiracies that Obama had to manage legislation regarding the planning board, such that Rezko would retain control over it. Obama did exactly as he was told--as Evelyn has recounted in very great detail--and the resulting legislation allowed Rezko to retain control over the planning board. Obama then received the kickbacks which Evelyn also details in her articles. It was a simple quid pro quo, and Obama is quite the criminal, as was Blago, in the whole planning board conspiracy. So where has it gone? It was a flat out 18 USC 1346 "honest services" violation. The point of this is that in yesterday's superseding indictment, 18 USC 1346 WAS included in the laws violated, but the planning board crimes were NOT included in the indictment. Why not? Obama's role and the kickbacks he received in the planning board scheme, are both public knowledge, splattered all over the internet, and not just by Evelyn. And yet he has not been charged. Why not? Either Fitzgerald has caved under some sort of bizarre pressure, or he is going to make the planning board crimes central in his complaint against Obama. If you notice, there is usually some central focus of Federal complaints. In Blago's case, it is now the teacher retirement system--the Senate seat is just tacked on, and maybe Fitz was rushed because of that little outrage. But still, there is no reason to drop the planning board crimes--which was a dual focus of the December complaint and not slighted in any way, and I don't recall an instance when a crime fully laid out in a Federal complaint, is simply dropped with no mention WHATEVER, in the superseding indictment. Please find out what is going on and let me know. Cheers,jr
According to Levine, in approximately late October 2003, after Levine was reappointed to the Planning Board, he shared a private plane ride from New York to Chicago with ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Kelly. Levine, ROD BLAGOJEVICH, and Kelly were the only passengers on the flight. According to Levine, at the beginning of the flight, Levine thanked ROD BLAGOJEVICH for reappointing him to the Planning Board. ROD BLAGOJEVICH responded that Levine should only talk with "Tony" [Rezko] or [Kelly] about the Planning Board, "but you stick with us and you will do very well for yourself." ROD BLAGOJEVICH said this in front of Kelly. According to Levine, Levine understood from ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s manner of speaking and words that ROD BLAGOJEVICH did not want Levine to talk to ROD BLAGOJEVICH directly about anything to do with the boards, but that Levine should talk to Rezko or Kelly. Levine also understood that ROD BLAGOJEVICH meant that Levine could make a lot of money working with ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s administration. According to Levine, ROD BLAGOJEVICH did not seem to expect a response from Levine, and Kelly then shifted the conversation to something else.

b. Corruption of the Planning Board

As described more fully in the following paragraphs, Mercy Hospital, which sought permission from the Planning Board to build a hospital in Illinois, received that permission through Rezko’s exercise of his influence at the Planning Board after Rezko was promised that Mercy Hospital would make a substantial campaign contribution to ROD BLAGOJEVICH. Rezko later told a member of the Planning Board that Mercy Hospital received the permit because ROD BLAGOJEVICH wanted the organization to receive the permit. Levine’s criminal activities included his abuse of his position on the Planning Board to enrich both himself and Friends of Blagojevich. The Planning Board was a commission of the State of Illinois, established by statute, whose members were appointed by the Governor of the State of Illinois. At the relevant time period, the Planning Board consisted of nine individuals. State law required an entity seeking to build a hospital, medical office building, or other medical facility in Illinois to obtain a permit, known as a "Certificate of Need" ("CON"), from the Planning Board prior to beginning construction. Levine, as well as Planning Board members Thomas Beck and Imad Almanaseer, testified under oath at the Rezko Trial. During his testimony, Levine described a plan to manipulate the Planning Board to enrich himself and Friends of Blagojevich. The plan centered on an entity commonly known as Mercy Hospital ("Mercy") that was attempting to obtain a CON to build a new hospital in Illinois. Levine knew the contractor hired to help build the hospital. In approximately November 2003, on behalf of the contractor, Levine checked with Rezko to determine whether Rezko wanted Mercy to obtain its CON. Rezko informed Levine that Mercy was not going to receive its CON. According to Levine, he asked Rezko whether it would matter to Rezko if Mercy’s construction contractor paid a bribe to Rezko and Levine and, in addition, made a contribution to ROD BLAGOJEVICH. Levine testified that Rezko indicated that such an arrangement would change his view on the Mercy CON. Levine relayed to Loren a conversation between Rezko and Levine during which Levine asked Rezko whether a political contribution to ROD BLAGOJEVICH would make a difference for Mercy’s CON, and Rezko responded to Levine that such a contribution might make a difference. Thereafter, and confirmed by the testimony of Levine, Beck, and Almanaseer, as well as recorded conversations, Rezko switched his directions to Beck and informed Beck that Mercy was to receive its CON. According to Almanaseer, although he previously had been told by Beck that Rezko did not want Mercy to receive its CON, he was later told that there had been a change and that Rezko now wanted Mercy to receive its CON. Mercy received its CON as a result of a controversial and irregular vote at a public Planning Board meeting. Almanaseer understood the reference to "Governor" to be a reference to ROD BLAGOJEVICH