Blago lawyer on federal prosecutors: "They think I'm a clown!"

While the billboard is correct, "Illinois has a history of some pretty good lawyers," every circus has clowns. Sam Adam Jr., surely thinks he is in the first category, but the member of Rod Blagojevich's defense team says federal prosecutors thinks he belongs in the second. "We're a joke," he said. "They think I'm a clown."

But he's effective, as the Chicago Sun-Times points out:

In state court, Adam's record, according to his law partner's father, is 60-5 in cases where he gave both the opening and closing statements. That included winning the acquittal of a man who stabbed someone 61 times.

Adam, 37, and the rest of the defense team are aware their frontman lacks experience in this new federal arena, that draws different jury pools and sees prosecutors win about 95 percent of the time.

Still, the team they've assembled, led by Adam Jr. and his father, is banking they'll beat the odds.

Adam gave the opening and closing arguments in the R Kelly trial--the rapper was acquitted of child pornography charges.

My legal experience is typical of most non-lawyers, it's non-existent. But I did serve on a jury for a Cook County murder trial, where Adam has been so successful. The deceased had been stabbed to death over an argument about $3 and a bottle of Richard's Wild Irish Rose. I bet they don't get many cases like that in federal court.

But this trial could be a circus--Blago knows how to put on a show. And his legal team has issued subpoenas to testify to President Obama, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). The Obama subpoena has already been denied.

On the morning of Blagojevich's arrest, US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald remarked that the since-removed-from-office Illinois governor's conduct "would make Lincoln roll over in his grave."

Technorati tags: Illinois Democrats illinois politics Democrats politics crime Blagojevich corruption current events Obama Barack Obama harry reid Durbin abraham lincoln

Memorial Day 2010, Worth, Illinois

The same belt of violent thunderstorms that struck Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois--where President Obama was supposed to speak this morning--probably also forced the cancellation of a Memorial Day service at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Worth--thirty-five miles to the north.

The Marathon Pundit family drove to the cemetery a few hours ago to visit the grave of my father. Many veterans are buried there, including Patrick J. Sweeney, who died fighting for his country during the Vietnam War.

Related posts:

Memorial Day 2010, Skokie, Illinois

Gravesite of a veteran of Custer's 7th Cavalry

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"Vietnam Memorial, Washington DC Framed Photograph - Jennifer Broadus"

Freedom is not free

Andrea Shea King, the Radio Patriot, reminds us that freedom is not free. Remember that on Memorial Day. Paul Mitchell does.

Pundit and Pundette does.

Technorati tags: armed forces Memorial Day patriotism military

Israel kills up to 19 blockade runners

Let's imagine a terrorist group grabs control of Maine. Our Navy blockades the state and six ships try to break through it.

We do nothing? Or do we prevent the ship from reaching the shore. Most people would choose the second option.

Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip a few years ago, weapons have been smuggled in, and the terror group has used it as a base to attack Israel. Yesterday a flotilla of six IHH ships, which Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak called, "extremist supporters of terror," tried to reach Gaza. The Israelis told them to stop, they issued numerous radio warnings--but the flotilla didn't. The Israeli Defense Forces say they were fired upon. They fired back.

Yes, they were told to stop:



Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said of the incident, "We couldn't allow the opening of a corridor of smuggling arms and terrorists."

Details are sketchy, but it appears only one of the ships carried extremists, which is the one that opened fire on the IDF.

Israel expressed regret over the fatalities. Up to 19 may have been killed.

One of the ships was named for Rachel Corrie, an American activist who was accidentally run over by a bulldozer when she refused to get out of the way an Israeli demolition crew that was destroying a Gaza weapons storage tunnel.

UPDATE June 1: As of today it appears only nine were killed. Secondly, the Rachel Corrie is en route, it was not part of the flotilla.

Technorati tags: Jewish Jews current affairs Palestine Israel Gaza news Hamas terrorism rachel corrie ism

Memorial Day 2010, Skokie, Illinois

Today is Memorial Day, the time to remember Americans who sacrificed their lives for our country.

One man who did so was Sgt. Kraig Foyteck of Skokie, Illinois. Pictured is the memorial for the 1998 Niles West High School graduate, which is at the center of Skokie's Veterans Park, just a few blocks from my home. In 2006, just a month before he was scheduled to leave Iraq, Foyteck was killed while conducting door-to-door searches.

In the background of the photograph is St. Peter's Catholic Church, where Foyteck's funeral mass was held.

To learn more about Foyteck, visit the website dedicated to his life.

All gave some, some gave all.

Technorati tags: armed forces Memorial Day patriotism military Illinois photography photos Chicago skokie iraq iraq war