Media, officials dance around governor's colorful language
What a bleeping nightmare.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's potty mouth, immortalized forever on FBI tapes of the governor dropping f-bombs left and right during phone calls with advisers, has forced anyone wanting to quote Blagojevich to get creative.
Between the marble columns and under the chandeliers of the Illinois Senate Tuesday, impeachment prosecutor David Ellis went with "effing" in order to convey Blagojevich's meaning, but avoid using the profanity, during the governor's impeachment trial.
Blagojevich's words were also printed on large posterboards in the chamber so senators could see exactly what Blagojevich said. Well, not exactly. "F---" stood in for Blagojevich's notorious expletive.
To quote first lady Patricia Blagojevich, also captured on the FBI tapes, Ellis expanded his euphemistic vocabulary to properly convey Mrs. Blagojevich's colorful language.
"Hold up that effing Cubs blank... Eff them," Ellis said, quoting Mrs. Blagojevich's feelings toward the Chicago Tribune.
No specific rule prohibits saying the f-word or s-word in the chamber, but Senate decorum discourages using such words. Both the Senate and House of Representatives have the power to expel members or toss in jail for 24 hours any non-member who disrespects the body by "disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its presence."
During Blagojevich's recent New York media blitz, television interviewers tip-toed around Blagojevich's actual words very carefully in order to avoid a federal fine.
On "Good Morning America," Diane Sawyer said "bleep" in place of Blagojevich's profanities when she asked the governor to explain what he meant when he said of President Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, "I've got this thing and it's bleeping golden."
Sawyer's "bleeping" follows a practice first used by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald following the governor's arrest when Fitzgerald said "bleep" in place of Blagojevich's actual words on FBI wiretaps.
On Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," host Jon Stewart spoke the actual profanities for the studio audience, but the words were electronically bleeped when the show aired.
Barbara Walters skipped over the swear words altogether when she confronted Blagojevich Monday on ABC's "The View." But show co-host Joy Behar later called Blagojevich a "potty mouth."
During his TV blitz Blagojevich repeatedly insisted he wouldn't have used swear words if he knew anyone was listening to his conversations. And, as Blagojevich pointed out on the "Today" show, "When some of that language was used, there were no women on the phone."
Blagojevich said he is to blame for his wife's naughty language.
"If she picked that up I take full responsibility. She doesn't speak like that," Blagojevich said.
The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates television licenses, has been more willing in recent years to fine stations for airing unplanned and unexpected swear words on television, such as during live awards shows. A pending Supreme Court case could overturn those rules in a decision expected by June.
Like the Illinois Senate on Tuesday, during November 2008 oral arguments before the court in Fox v. FCC no one used any of the specific "fleeting expletives" in question. Solicitor General Gregory Garre came the closest, arguing the FCC had an obligation to prevent "Big Bird dropping the F-bomb on 'Sesame Street'."