While no one other than the participants and judge has seen the entire note the jury sent out in the trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Wednesday, from the media description, I don't see what's so mysterious about it. The money quotes, first from the Chicago Tribune:

U.S. District Judge James Zagel, reading from a note from jurors, said they had made “a reasonable attempt” after deliberating 11 days and had done so “without rancor.”

The jury indicated it wanted to know what happens if it cannot agree on a unanimous decision on every count. The panel had matched up specific acts in the case to individual counts and was unclear on what to do next, the note said. “What is the next logical step?” the jury asked in its note. [my emphasis]

Separately, one defense lawyer said that jurors also indicated they couldn't reach a conclusion on counts involving a "specific act."

My take: The jury matched up some, but not all acts with counts. It sounds to me like the jury is unable to resolve the two RICO (racketeering)counts (one charging substantive RICO and the other charging conspiracy to commit RICO.) The RICO counts require the jury to find Rod Blagojevich committed (or for conspiracy, agreed that some member of the conspiracy would commit)at least two acts of racketeering, and they have to be unanimous on at least two acts. [More..]

NYTimes:

It was a dramatic but fitting start to an evening that brimmed with political defiance: about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, as guests began strolling into the Plaza Hotel to celebrate Representative Charles B. Rangel’s 80th birthday party, former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins turned to confront a heckler. “You know you are attending a party for a crook,” the man yelled.

At that, Mr. Dinkins, bastion of statesmanship and dignity, raised his middle finger at the man, displaying it for all to see, witnesses said.

Mr. Rangel himself seemed to capture the spirit of the event when looked out to the packed Grand Ballroom and shouted, “This damn sure ain’t no funeral, is it?” [. . .T]he state’s senior United States. senator, Charles E. Schumer, and the state’s attorney general and Democratic nominee for governor, Andrew M. Cuomo [. . .] showed up and spoke warmly about Mr. Rangel, steering clear of the ethics charges against him. “He has fought for New York through thick and thin,” Mr. Schumer said, as Mr. Rangel stood nearby on a stage. “We are so grateful and thankful for that.”

[S]igns of loyalty were everywhere. When Dionne Warwick turned to Mr. Rangel and began to sing “That’s What Friends Are For,” the entire crowd joined in with her.

(Emphasis supplied.) I'm with Charlie. Speaking for me only

Here's the good news - college football less than a month away.

Here's the bad news - no college football THIS Saturday.

Go Gators!

Open Thread.

I'm not sure what this dkos diarist was aiming at with his diary, but I think the important upshot of Left Flank pressure on FDR was that FDR moved to the Left as a result of the pressure. The apocryphal "make me do it" moments. In any event, if President Obama would react to Left Flank pressure the way FDR did, I would be content. Can we expect Obama to give this speech at the 2012 nominating convention?

For nearly four years you have had an Administration which instead of twirling its thumbs has rolled up its sleeves. We will keep our sleeves rolled up. We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace—business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.

They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred.

Speaking for me only

Via kos, What the Florida GOP thinks of Latinos:

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum on Wednesday proposed tougher curbs against illegal migrants in his melting-pot state which he said would go "one step further" than a similar contested Arizona law.

[. . .] "Florida will not be a sanctuary state for illegal aliens," added McCollum, accompanied by Representative Will Snyder. The legislation will require Florida law enforcement officials to check a suspected illegal immigrant's status in the course of a stop, or a violation of another law. [. . .] Florida, especially its southern portion, is a major U.S. migration destination for nationals from the Caribbean and Latin America, making it a cultural and racial melting-pot.

Feelin' the GOP love Latinos? What Latino in their right mind would ever be a Republican?

Speaking for me only

Sam Stein:

Speaking publicly for the first time since he disparaged the "professional left," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he stands by his comments [. . .] Taking the podium after a day off to tend to a sore throat, Gibbs said he has not reached out to any Democrats to discuss his remarks, in which he chastised liberals for wanting to "eliminate the Pentagon" and pursue Canadian-style health care reform. Nor, he added, has he talked to the president about the matter.

Does he stand by the comments? "Yes," he replied.

All righty then. Hell of a Press Secretary the White House has there.

Speaking for me only

On their 11th day of deliberations, the jurors in the trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his brother Robert have a question. The judge will hear it at 2:30 pm CT.

This is the first peep from the jurors since their first days of deliberations when they requested a transcript of the Government's closing argument and of witness testimony. Both requests were denied, although the judge said they could ask for witness transcripts by individual name.

Matt Yglesias writes:

I’m generally skeptical of claims that lack of presidential action is the cause of legislative non-outcomes. In the case of immigration, there was a bipartisan congressional coalition behind reform and the key Republican members of that coalition decided to defect. The president can’t perform inception on Mitch McConnell and make him want to do this.

But on this specific issue, I think there’s reason to believe that presidential leadership would actually be counterproductive. [. . . W]hen Presidents insert themselves into legislative debates, that induces partisan polarization. Immigration has always been an issue that scrambles both parties coalitions, and I don’t think that’s changed today. A more polarized dynamic is only going to make reform harder to achieve. Of course the president would have a role in pushing a bill over the finish line, but success requires a starting baseline of genuine cooperation on the Hill.

I think that is generally wrong (political polarization happens irrespective of Presidential leadership) and it is clearly wrong with regards to the immigration issue.

The GOP hates Latinos and thus hates immigration period. They hated immigration reform when President Bush proposed it and they hated it when President Obama proposed it. Presidential leadership did not cause political polarization on immigration reform. GOP hatred of Latinos caused the political polarization on the issue.

Speaking for me only

This statement by Harry Reid has the Right up in arms:

“I don’t know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK,” Reid said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Do I need to say more?” he asked.

The Right was quick to trot out a Cuban-American to rebut:

I am the daughter of Cuban exiles who have seen first hand the failures of liberal and socialist policies in their native country. [. . .] My father looked at the platform of the republican party that endorsed small government, lower taxes, and strong defense, while the democrat party embraced Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, murderers and tyrants, as some sort of folk heroes, and endorsed larger and endorsed larger governments taking power away from the people.

(Emphasis supplied.) As the son of Cuban exiles, let me be the first to say that this is batsh*t insane. The "democrat" party embraced Che and Fidel? In what bizarro world does this person live in? Democrats have consistently denounced the tyranny in Cuba, to the point of imposing a counterproductive embargo on Cuba (JFK) and expanding it (Bill Clinton.) As I say, this is just batsh*t insanity.

Beyond that, the GOP, after a period of seeking to woo Latinos (see Rove, Karl) has now embraced xenophobic policies and statements that are, by any objective measure, attacks on Latinos. But in the strange world of the Wingnut, Che and Fidel are "democrat" stalwarts. The lunacy on the Right regarding Latinos continues.

Speaking for me only

As someone who has spoken out in favor of the stated goals of the Obama Administration in 2009 with regard to the handling of accused enemy combatants and indefinite detention, I am very dismayed by what we are discovering about the Obama Administration's handling of these matters. Glenn Greenwald writes:

Military commissions were one of those Bush/Cheney policies which provoked virtually universal outrage among progressives and Democrats back in the day when executive power abuses and rule of law transgressions were a concern. The Obama administration's claim that the commissions are now improved to the point that they provide a forum of real justice is being put to the test -- and blatantly failing [. . .] The commission has already ruled that confessions made by Khadr which were clearly obtained through coercion, abuse and torture will be admitted as evidence against him.

This is outrageous and, in my view, a violation of the Laws of War and the Geneva Conventions. When I have a bit more time, I will write on this point at length. For now, I just want to register my disgust about this.

Speaking for me only

In a very close race, businessman Dan Maes has beat Scott McInnis for the Colorado Republican Gubernatorial election in November. The Post says Tancredo will run against both Maes and Hickenlooper. Best thing that could happen. Maes and Tancredo will split the Republican vote and likable Mayor Hickenlooper will sail to victory.

There could be a required recount in the Maes-McInnis race.

There still remained a possibility the primary may drag through another week. If two candidates finish within the margin of half a percentage point, it triggers an automatic recount in Colorado. A candidate may also request a recount if the margin is larger, but has to pay for it.

At midnight, with 100% reporting, the votes were Dan Maes (196,560) 50.6
Scott McInnis (191, 209) 49.3

Maes "ran as the underdog, the non-establishment candidate, backed by Tea Party supporters but without much money." He explained his platform tonight:

He said that if he becomes govenor, he plans to "eliminate the influence of unions on state employees, stop subsidizing abortions." He added that he also will reverse Gov. Bill Ritter's increase in vehicle registration fees and will "enroll the state in a program that deports illegal alien criminals."

[More...]

This security camera video of 25 year old Melodi Dushane freaking out at the drive-up window of McDonalds because they were only serving breakfast and not McNuggets at 6:30 a.m., is hilarious. It also cost Dushane 60 days in jail and $1,500 in restitution to McDonalds.

The encounter begins normally, and around 1:10 in, the freakout begins. She escalates from berating the employee, to forcing the window open and trying to climb in, to bashing the employee. She then gets back in her car, only to get out and go back up to the window, smashing it with a bottle.

A few seconds after she finally leaves, another car drives up, and the employee, not missing a beat and still holding something to her bruised head, calmly hands over the order. I bet Jet Blue would like to hire someone with her work ethic.

Steven Slater, hero. Melodi? Misfit.

Received by e-mail from the Bennet Campaign: Senator Michael Bennet's full speech tonight after his primary win:

Thank You, Colorado!

Aren't we lucky to have Mark Udall representing us in the Senate? Thank you, Mark.

It was just a week ago that the political pundits and Washington odds-makers started to count us out. They didn't think we were negative enough, that the way to win was to shout the loudest and angriest; to spend more time talking about our opponent than talking about what we stand for.

To the pundits and talking heads, I have a simple message: Welcome to Colorado.

[More...]

Update: Gov. Bill Ritter and Sen. Mark Udall are with Sen. Bennet at the Bennet celebration. Sen. Bennet made some gracious comments about Andrew Romanoff. At his election party, Romanoff expressed his support for Bennet and asked his supporters to do the same.

Ken Buck said voters will have a clear choice in November: "between conservative Ken Buck and Liberal Michael Bennet." He said the differences between Buck and Jane Norton were miniscule by comparison. Norton asked her supporters tonight to support Buck.

The Republican gubernatorial primary is still too close to call, between Scott McInnis, recently beset by plagiarism issues, and Dan Maes, the Tea Party-supported candidate. If McInnis wins, Tom Tancredo is waiting in the wings. The Democratic candidate, popular Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, should be shoo-in, particularly if McInnnis and Tancredo are both in the race, splitting Republican voters.

Update: Sen. Bennet's statement to supporters (received by e-mail):[More...]

Sen. Ted Stevens was not one of the surviors of last night's plane crash in Alaska that killed five persons.

Ex-NASA chief Sean O'Keefe and his teenage son were among the four survivors. More details on survivors and the crash here.

Stevens, 86, was the longest serving Republican senator in history. R.I.P., Sen. Stevens.

Among his legacies: Bringing to public attention the issue of the Government concealing exculpatory evidence in criminal trials.